Security is an issue for any public place and there are different
measures used around the globe to monitor illegal activity. CCTV is a common
surveillance system and that is what we use at the Queen Victoria market
however a problem has been raised with stall setups that may compromise CCTV
effectiveness.
Essentially CCTV requires unimpeded line of sight to do its
job. Any black spots can be used by undesirables to hide their illegal activity.
In a static environment, cameras can be positioned accordingly but in the
unique trading environment at QVM we put up different barriers (stallholders aisle
displays) on different days and it is difficult to avoid black spots. Stallholder
displays that intrude unreasonably into the aisle are the culprit here. In fact
there have already been a number of occasions when camera operators have been
unable to track illegal activity at the market because aisle displays get in
the way.
The value of overhead displays has been long debated. Some aisles
at our market are comparatively open, like the top end of Rear K/Rear L. Other aisles
are completely hemmed in by trader’s displays. There are those who believe that
overhead displays are a distraction and simply add confusing clutter to the
customers view. Others believe they are an important showcase of the trader’s
product range.
Either way there is now a new consideration for how we merchandise
our market and when it comes to the security of stallholders, their staff, and
customers, there is little room for compromise. Changes in retailing have
forced us to reconsider some long term practices at QVM and this may just be
another one.